Second Defendant Pleads in 2015 Clarksburg Beating Death

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — One of the three defendants in a 2015 Clarksburg beating death pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to two felony charges.

Terrance Ray Hilliard, 23, of Clarksburg, could face up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to first degree robbery. Additionally, he could face between 1-5 years for conspiracy.

Sentencing is set for May 25, 2017, at 9 a.m.

Terrance Ray Hilliard is the second person to plead guilty in the beating death of 29-year-old Dustin Baldwin. Hilliard’s cousin, Zachary Hilliard, pleaded guilty to two charges as part of a plea agreement with the Harrison County Prosecutor’s Office.

Baldwin was found beaten and unconscious on the porch of his grandmother’s Clarksburg home on August 19, 2015. He died on September 8, 2015, as a result of his injuries.

Zachary Hilliard claimed the assault was a case of mistaken identity, but told Prosecutor’s that Terrance Hilliard continued the attack even after they realized Baldwin wasn’t who they thought.

In September 2016, Judge Thomas Bedell sentenced Zachary Hilliard to 32 years for robbery and 1-5 years for conspiracy. In the plea agreement, he agreed to testify against Terrance Ray Hilliard.

Zachary Hilliard is eligible for parole on the robbery charge in eight years and eligible for parole on the conspiracy charge after one year.

The third and final defendant, 20-year-old Kelsi Riddle, is scheduled for trial Monday, April 24 at 9 a.m.

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